Community Corner

Werdesheim Brothers' Trial Begins Tuesday

A lawsuit claims that the brothers, from Northwest Baltimore's Cheswolde neighborhood, allegedly beat a teenager while on patrol in November 2010, are on trial tomorrow in Baltimore City.

The racially-charged trial for two Northwest Baltimore brothers Eliyahu and Avi Werdesheim, accused of false imprisonment and second-degree assault of a 15-year-old African American teen in November 2010, is set to begin Tuesday, according to court records.

During a hearing Monday in Baltimore, the Werdesheim's attorney, Andrew Alperstein, asked the judge to postpone the trial. He said it might reignite passions created by the recent Trayvon Martin case in Florida, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun.

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Recently, numerous media outlets have drawn comparisons between the Florida incident in which a neighborhood patrolman George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, a black teenager.

In the incident involving the Werdesheims—who are white—a black teenager was allegedly pushed to the ground and his wrist was broken by the brothers as one of them was on a neighborhood patrol, according to court records.

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The judge did not rule on that motion Monday, but said that the trial will begin Tuesday, noting that it is "separate and distinct" from the Florida case, the Sun report states.

The Werdesheims each face charges of false imprisonment, second-degree assault and deadly weapon with intent to injure, according to court records.

The trial has already been postponed six times, including one time to allow the brothers to travel to Isreal.

The Werdesheims are active volunteers in the Pikesville area Jewish community.

Avi Werdesheim, 21, has been a member of the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company, but has been on a leave of absence, according to spokesman Michael Schwartzberg.

Avi is also the vice chairman of the Young Leadership of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Midatlantic Chapter.

The FIDF raises money to help support the soldiers of the Israeli Army and their families.

The chapter, founded in 2008, is headquartered in Pikesville and covers the Baltimore area, Northern Virginia, Washington and Delaware.

Eli Werdesheim, 24, is a member of the board of directors for the Midatlantic Chapter, representing the FIDF Young Leadership. He is a student at .

The brothers, who reside in Cheswolde, were among four Young Leadership members who spearheaded that brought in an estimated 400 attendees to the .

That was the first fundraising event for the group, and was considered to be a success, FIDF leaders have said.

Eli Werdesheim is a former member of the Israel Defense Forces, having served in the Israeli Army.

He was allegedly on patrol in Baltimore with the Shomrim neighborhood watch group at the time of . Avi was with him, but was not a member.

Leaders of Shomrim have said Eli is no longer a member.


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